Two Men Jailed in UK’s First Jury Conviction for Online Self-Harm Offence Under Safety Act
The case is the first jury-tested use of the Online Safety Act 2023 offence for encouraging serious self-harm.
Overview
- Charlie Johnson, 24, was sentenced to four years and Prince Singh, 23, to two years and nine months at Woolwich Crown Court.
- Jurors found the men guilty of offences that included encouraging serious self-harm and making and distributing indecent images of children.
- Prosecutors showed they coerced girls aged 16 and 17 to carve names into their skin, then mocked them and shared images in online chats.
- Evidence from seized devices and Discord messages, including a ‘GGSuicidal’ group and posts outlining plans to ‘ruin’ a girl, underpinned the convictions.
- Victim statements described lasting trauma including ongoing self-harm, repeated hospitalisations and disrupted education, as the CPS highlighted the case as a legal first.